For: Pythease
Father: Lampon
Homeland: Aigina
Game: Nemean—suggested by line 67. In the honor of Zeus and
founded by Heracles (1)
Event: Pankration
[lines 1-42 missing]:
Reasoning
that this ode follows the order of other odes of Bacchylides’s, these lines
probably included his current status in his homeland, a lengthy description of
his victory at the games, and about how the Gods and Muses smile upon him. Also
included in these lines are the first and second strophe and the first
antistrophe and epode.
[lines 43-45]:
“…meting
out punishments to mortal men.”: suggests that the previous lines referred to
above “mortal men”, the Gods. Since the games honor Zeus, the God being
referenced is probably him.
[Ant. 2]:
This part
begins with a story of “Perseus’ descendant”. Since the event, Pankration, was
founded by Herakles and he is Perseus’ grandson (and half brother), we can
assume that Herakles is the person he is referring to. Also, Herakles slayed a
“savage lion”, the Nemean lion, as the first of his twelve labors. The “flashing bronze” is a sword of bronze
which could not pass through the “unapproachable bulk”, which is the fur of the
Nemean lion (2). Neither arrows nor swords could penetrate its protective fur,
which made the lion so deadly. This story is used to show the strength of
Herakles. So to be the winner of this event and obtain the “wreaths”, Greeks
will show their strength through “sweat and toil”. This is a story to compare
the victors to Herakles.
[Ep. 2]:
“The
flowers of glory-laden Victory” are “beside the altar of Zeus”, suggesting the
victor will be in high favor among the Gods, especially Zeus. The
capitalization of “Victory” also implies that it is a proper known, a person;
The Goddess Nike was the Goddess of victory who crowned victors with wreaths of
flowers. This is only possible for a “few men” however, but with “flowers of
glory-laden Victory” upon them, their “golden fame” “flourishes in the sight of
many”. This insinuates an immediate recognition of the prestige, hard work, and
notoriety of the victors among the Greeks. Even as “dark clouds conceal” the
victors with death, there “remains renown”, showing their fame will be
infinite.
[Str.3]:
Confirms
that he won pankration at “Nemea” and that he is the “son of Lampon”. Honor is
given to “Aigina” since it is his homeland and gave him the “strength that
gained the upper hand in combat”.
[Ant. 3]:
Aigina is
looked at with honor because “the son of Kronos”, Zeus, has allowed Pytheas to
be the victor. The news of his victory spreads all across Greece such that
Pytheas and Aigina are viewed “like a bright torch”. Pytheas’s “might” is sung
by “many a high-vanting girl” who’s skipping feet are compared to an
“untroubled fawn upon flowering hills”. This is another reference to his fame,
because you need fame or power for anyone to sing about you.
[Ep. 3]:
“Wreathed
in the local fashion with crimson flowers and reeds” suggests that the island
was abundant with these types of flowers. They were known to be of the island
of Aigina. Instead of naming the mother of Pytheas, she is just mentioned as a
“mistress”. This suggests that Pytheas’s mother is either unknown or
unimportant. He compliments the city by saying it “welcomes guests”. He also
gives honor to the king and queen and their children: Aniakos, Endeïs,
Peleus, and Telamon (3).
[Str.4]:
Another
story begins about the story of the Trojan war, specifically about the battle
between “Ajax the hero” of Greece stopping “bold-hearted bronze-helmed Hektor
to a halt” of Troy as he attempted to set the Greek ships “awesomely ablaze”.
It goes on to begin discussing “Peleus’ son”, Achilles. This could be a lesson
on how Zeus’s favorability of you can change outcomes.
[Ant. 4]:
Continues
with the story of how Achilles set the Dardanians “free from their woes”. He
killed them in other words. It tells of how the Trojans hid in a “bewilderment
of fear” as “Achilles raged” on the plains outside the impenetrable walls of
Troy, “slaughter[ing] multitudes”. It also begins discussion of how Achilles
“ceased to take part in warfare”.
[Ep. 4]:
The Trojans
hearing of the cessation of battle of Achilles is compared to “the sea that
blooms in darkness” but “ceases when the light of dawn shines”. With Achilles
out of the war for a moment, the Trojans “joyfully make their way beyond all
hope to land.”
[Str. 5]:
Gives the
reason that Achilles ceased fighting. He was without his “fair-haired
woman…Briseis of the longed-for limbs”, who was taken by Agamemnon (4). The ran
out of the gate of Troy past “Laomedon’s walls”, the king who asked Poseidon
and Apollo to build the walls, and began
“fierce battle” with the Greeks (5). This is another example of how
Zeus’s favorability can change.
[Ant. 5]:
Without the
help of Achillies, the “Danaans”, another name for Greeks, had a “rousing fear”
of the Trojans. They fought the Greeks all the way back to the “shore of the
sea”, where the Trojans, with the help of their hero Hektor, “slaughtered men”
and reddened the “dark earth”. He is so good that he is thought to be
“god-like”.
[Ep. 5]:
Continues
with the story of how the Trojans “stormed the dark-eyed” ships. The
“god-built” city refers to the city of Troy. “They”, referring to the Trojans,
were “destined…to make Skamandros’…waters crimson”. Skamandos is the river god.
[Str. 6]:
Begins to
relate is back to the present day and the reson he’s writing. “Aiakos” is the
king of the island of Aigina. “Excellence…not grow[ing] dim” is another
remainder of Pytheas’s everlasting fame for winning the pankration.
[Ant. 6]:
Excellence
is thought of as a person with “untiring fame” that is able to go anywhere to
tell of itself. The story of Excellence widens itself to include how it will
benefit the “island of Aiakos”. Because of Pytheas’s accomplishment, the entire
island will profit for a long time.
[Ep. 6]:
There is a
call for a celebration in honor of the “victory of Pytheas”. He also gives
thanks to Menandros for his duty of “assisting atheletes”. Since the “training
that he gives often…[finds] honor at the hands of the august Athena”, he must
be an excellent trainer and sought-after. With his training “set[ing] crowns
upon the hair of countless men at games”, he is seen as a worthy addition to
the ode to the victory of Pytheas. We are reminded of his fame, for the “game
[are] attended by all Greeks”.
[Str. 7]:
Continues
with duality of the praise of Pytheas’s victory and Menandros’s training, for
unless a person is envious, they “must give praise to a man of skill”. “A man”
provides the allowance for the duality because it does not specifically say
which man it is. His fame is once again emphasized as the “ill-disposed…dwindle
and fade away from sight”, but the next missing line would tell of how the
truth will never die.
[Ant. 7]:
Tells of
how he, Bacchylides, was trusted along with the muses to write the song for
Pytheas. Since this is not common, it makes us wonder if they were close
friends.
[Ep. 7]:
Continues
thanking Lampon for his “hospitality”, strengthening the idea that they may be
friends. He considers the song as a gift, and saying “no slight one”, he
considers it a very large gift.
Bacchylides hopes that Kleio, the muse of history, will make his name
everlasting and “herald forth his name to all the people” (6).
References:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles#Lovers
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ende%C3%AFs
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briseis
(5) http://www.pantheon.org/articles/l/laomedon.html
(6) http://www.goddessaday.com/greek/clio
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